Fifteen months ago Patton Oswalt went through a day that many of us can not imagine: his wife, Michelle McNamara, died suddenly in her sleep at the age of 46.
In the time since his wife’s death, Oswalt has been a single parent to his and McNamara’s daughter as they both grieved and figured out how to keep living life. One of those ways is often falling in love again and deciding to get married, which apparently is where Oswalt went awry of some on the internet. He and actress Meredith Salenger announced last week that they are engaged.
Oswalt and Salenger personally chose to ignore those who decided to weigh in on their romance and pending nuptials. However, Oswalt did take the time to thank a fellow young widow who defended him and his fiance in a blog post.
WOW. Thank you for this, Erica. I'd chosen to ignore the grub worms but your writing is just SO good here. Thank you, seriously… https://t.co/XwHejT5Dkr
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) July 8, 2017
“It makes my heart happy to see that his heart has continued to move forward, that it has healed and expanded to the place where he can now love another,” Roman wrote before addressing the “dear ignorant, judgmental, assholes” who expressed disdain in comments accompanying articles about Oswalt’s news.
“You aren’t entitled to an opinion. You don’t get to comment on the choices of a widower while you sit happily next to your own living spouse. You didn’t have to stand and watch your mundane morning turn into your absolute worst nightmare. You didn’t have to face the agony of despair and the only person who could possibly bring you comfort had been ripped from your life forever. You didn’t have to stand in the ashes of what was once your life, when the sun itself darkened and the very air you breathed felt toxic in your lungs. Go back to scrolling Facebook and keep your ignorance to yourself,” she wrote.
Salenger also posted a thank you to Roman,
— Meredith Salenger (@MeredthSalenger) July 8, 2017
Even in the most Victorian days, getting engaged almost a year and a half after the death of one’s spouse was considered perfectly acceptable. Today, we’ve moved beyond such rules and acknowledge the fact that every individual deals with death in their own time and in their own way.
Marrying the woman he loves — not to mention she’s a Harvard graduate, actress, and legal mediator — in a timely fashion means Oswalt respects Salenger and is snapping her up because he wants to spend the rest of his life with her.
In today’s society where adults are waiting longer and longer to get married, it’s nice to see a couple deciding to tie the knot sooner rather than later. Oswalt is one of the good guys in this respect.
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